FASLANE has a new hand at the helm with the appointment of Commodore Mark Gayfer as Naval Base Commander Clyde.

Commodore Gayfer takes over from Commodore Mark Adams, who has held the top job at HM Naval Base Clyde since October 2014.

Commodore Adams will be moving on to a role leading the Nuclear Propulsion Team at Abbeywood in Bristol.

Speaking of his appointment as Naval Base Commander, Commodore Gayfer said: “As the naval base continues its journey towards becoming the home of the entire UK Submarine Service, I fully expect the coming months and years to be both exciting and challenging.

“We have a tremendously able and dedicated team here at Clyde and so I am confident that we will meet those challenges, overcome them, and create a Naval Base that provides world-class support to our vessels, sailors and their families.”

He added: “I am very much looking forward to beginning my work as Naval Base Commander Clyde, a role which it is a great honour to be trusted with.”

Born and raised in Glasgow, Commodore Gayfer joined the Royal Navy in 1988 as a University Cadet. Following two terms at Dartmouth and a period with HMS Cornwall, he attended Emmanuel College Cambridge to read Electrical and Information Sciences.

A volunteer for Submarine Service, the new NBC Clyde has previously served with HMS Torbay, HMS Vanguard and HMS Vigilant, and for the past two-and-a-half years has been Superintendent Fleet Maintenance at Clyde.

On Monday, February 8, with the official hand-over, Commodore Mark Adams left the Naval Base in true naval style.

Boarding a Royal Marine Island Class vessel at the jetty-side he was waved off by sailors from HMS Neptune, Royal Marines from 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group and members of the civilian workforce.

A SERCO tug boat was also in attendance, spraying a plume of water from the Gareloch to mark the Commodore’s waterborne departure from Clyde.

Speaking of his departure, Commodore Adams said: “It has been an honour and a privilege to command the Royal Navy’s most complex Naval Base. The establishment continues to enjoy its position at the forefront of delivering the MoD’s key outputs; a reality that has made this command particularly rewarding.

“The successes that the Base delivers on a daily basis are testament to the hard work and tenacity of those who serve here, whether military or civilian. For their unstinting support I am enormously grateful; it is what I will miss the most when I move on.”

He added: “I wish Commodore Gayfer every success as Naval Base Commander Clyde as he takes on the role at an exciting time of growth and development.”

Ipsoregulated

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